Apprenticeship Navigators

Apprenticeship Navigators build, connect, and grow apprenticeship programs in the region. 

In 2019, the Keystone Development Partnership (KDP) created a new Registered Apprenticeship program to train workforce professionals to assist companies and organizations with developing, maintaining, and growing apprenticeship programs. Each Navigator completes a one-year apprenticeship program, learning apprenticeship best practices and tactical strategies around this workforce solution. 

Upon completing the program, Navigators are members of the Keystone Apprenticeship Alliance, a statewide network of workforce intermediaries with the goal of expanding apprenticeships into new occupations and industries through partnerships with employers, unions, government agencies, educators, and community organizations. 

To connect with any of the below navigators, contact us. 

Meet the Navigators

Drew Barth

  • Philadelphia Academies, Inc.
  • Industry Focus: High School Career & Technical Education

Drew supports pre-apprenticeship pathway development at Mastbaum High School in the construction trades (carpentry, welding, electrical, and plumbing) and has supported the Early Childhood Education Pre-Apprenticeship at Parkway West High School. His work will expand the pre-apprenticeship model in partnership with other schools in hospitality, IT, manufacturing, and biotech.

Peggy Dugan

  • Community College of Philadelphia
  • Industry Focus: Business and Finance

Peggy serves as the Director of Business Development for Community College of Philadelphia, engaging with employers throughout the City to discuss their workforce development needs. As an Apprenticeship Navigator, Peggy presents information about establishing Registered Apprenticeships to employers. Community College of Philadelphia serves as a Related Technical Instruction (RTI) provider for a number of existing apprenticeship programs and can partner with new apprenticeships to provide training services. Peggy enjoys working with employers to meet their workforce development and training needs and introducing apprenticeship as a potential solution.

Christine Hackett

  • District 1199c Training and Upgrading Fund
  • Industry Focus: Healthcare

Christine currently supports a statewide initiative that provides upskilling opportunities, nurse aide training, mentorship, secure job placements and leadership development to healthcare professionals. She hopes to develop an apprenticeship that creates a pipeline for opportunity youth that starts with career exploration and continues on into career development in a healthcare career of their choice.

Sarah Hill

  • Community College of Philadelphia
  • Industry Focus: All Industries

Sarah Hill is the Apprenticeship Coordinator in the Division of Workforce and Economic Innovation at Community College of Philadelphia. Sarah coordinates Community College of Philadelphia’s Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship program development, registration, and implementation. To facilitate this work, Sarah works across College departments and with employer partners and community groups. The College currently sponsors two Pre-Apprenticeship Programs, is the RTI Provider for many external programs, operates an Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program, and has several new Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Programs in development. Sarah enjoys working with internal and external partners to build essential workforce programs to meet the needs and better the lives of Philadelphians. Sarah has over 10 years’ experience supporting college and career readiness and workforce development at the high school level and postsecondary level. She has a bachelor’s degree from NYU and Masters Degrees in Social Work and Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.

Naila Mattison

  • Workforce Consultant
  • Industry Focus: Information Technology

Naila is an innovative, outcome-driven professional with expertise in workforce development, marketing, and client relationship management. She’s a high-energy, passionate, and data-driven leader with a demonstrated track record of developing and executing innovative solutions that link organizational and program goals to help create the best team. Naila has supported the expansion of information technology pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs in Philadelphia.

Kristy Shuda McGuire

  • The Wistar Institute
  • Industry Focus: Life Sciences

Kristy Shuda McGuire, M.S., Ph.D. is Dean of Biomedical Studies at The Wistar Institute, the nation’s first research institute devoted solely to biomedical science and a world leader in cancer, infectious disease and vaccine research. Dr. Shuda McGuire oversees a pipeline of training programs for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows, including Wistar’s signature workforce development programs, the Biomedical Technician Training (BTT) Pre-apprenticeship and Biomedical Research Technician (BRT) Apprenticeship Programs. The BTT Program was created in 2000 in collaboration with the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). In 2017 Wistar developed the complementary BRT Apprenticeship, the first registered, nontraditional apprenticeship in biomedical research which was awarded Outstanding Nontraditional Apprenticeship by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry in 2019. The BTT Program became a registered pre-apprenticeship in 2019, and Kristy secured funding to support an accelerated version of the BTT Program in 2021 and an expansion of the Program to other regional community colleges beginning in 2022. Kristy participated in the first cohort of the Apprenticeship Navigator Registered Apprenticeship (ANRA) Program and looks forward to developing additional on-ramps to the BRT Apprenticeship and investigating additional apprenticeable occupations and employer needs within the life sciences. Kristy earned an M.S. in the Science of Instruction at Drexel University and a Ph.D. in Genetics from Thomas Jefferson University.

Adina Tayar

  • PA CareerLink® / EDSI
  • Industry Focus: All Industries

Adina is a Regional Apprenticeship Coordinator for Bucks and Montgomery County. She is dedicated to convening employers, training providers, and intermediaries in those counties to explore how they can best utilize the Registered Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship model. Additionally, she provides technical assistance to programs in development and facilitates connections to apprenticeship experts and stakeholders regionally. Through her connections to the PA CareerLink® offices in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, she coordinates access to local funding for apprenticeship and assists with apprentice recruitment.

Jay Vincent

  • Community College of Philadelphia
  • Industry Focus: Healthcare and Manufacturing

Jay serves as the Manager for Business Development with the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). Jay promotes corporate solutions contracted training products, programs and services, as well as develops relationships with new and existing businesses and industry partners, and manages the college’s Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA). Prior to joining CCP, Jay spent 32 years in the pharmaceutical industry in various sales and marketing positions. Jay earned his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a BA in Marketing from Rowan University.

For More Information

For more information about the Navigator Apprenticeship, including how to apply to the program, visit KDP’s website: https://kdpworks.org/projects.